Spinning machines



June 28, 1960 P. R. c. GRANGIEI 2,942,404

SPINNING MACHINES Filed Dec. 5, 1958 9- Sheets-Sheet 1 June 28, 1960 P.R. c. GRANGIE 2,942,404

SPINNING MACHINES Filed Dec. 5, 1958 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 1960 P.'R..C. GRANGIE- 2,942,404

spnmmc mamas Filed Dec. 5, 1958 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 FiledDec. 5. 1958 June 28, 1960 P. R. c. GRANGIE SPINNING MACHINES 9Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 5, 1958 @m mum Nnm P. R. C. GRANGIE June 28,1960 SPINNING MACHINES 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Dec. 5, 1958 Mwnm Nhm mhmh SPINNING MACHINES 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Dec. 5. 1958 June 28, 1960 P.R. c. GRANGIE spmmuc MACHINES 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed Dec. 5, 1958 nitedStates Patent Ofiic 2,942,404 Patented June 28, 1960 SPINNING MACHINESPierre R. C. Grangi, Liaucourt, France, assignor of fifty percent toLouis Ernest Bianco, Paris, France Filed Dec. 5, 1958, Ser. No. 778,433

Claims prlority,tapplication France Feb. 6, 1957 20 Claims. (Cl."57-583) The present invention relates to spinning machines in which ayarn is caused to travel from a point located on an axis fixed withrespect to the machine frame to another point located on said axis, saidyarn forming a balloon over at least a portion of the interval betweenthese points. In such machines it is often advantageous to house amechanism in the space limited by said balloon, said mechanism includinga part rotatable about said main axis.

The main object of the invention is to provide, in a machine of thiskind, a device for controlling and/or operating said mechanism from theoutside of the balloon.

For this purpose, a machine according to the present invention includesan eccentric member journalled, about a second axis parallel to saidmain axis, in a piece mounted in said frame and advantageously rotatableabout said main axis. Said eccentric member is coupled with themechanism above referred to through means such that the angular positionof the above mentioned part of said mechanism with respect to said mainaxis is positively determined by the position of said second axis withrespect to said main axis, said eccentric member being also coupled withthe spindle of the machine journalled about the main axis through meanssuch that said eccentric 'member turns about said second axis at a speedconstantly equal to the speed of rotation of said spindle about saidmain axis. The eccentric member is located between two planesperpendicular to said axes and passing respectively through the twoabove mentioned points, said eccentric member being provided with anopening for the passage of the yarn from one 'side to the other of saidmember. The opening is arranged to keep constant'the .;1

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be hereinafterdescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings, given merely byway of example and in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, with parts in vertical axial section, ofa spinning machine made according to i a first embodiment of theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, with parts cut away, of the portion II ofsaid machine (see Fig. 1);

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a second embodiment of theinvention;

Fig. 4 is a detail view; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic sectional view of athird embcdiment of the invention; 7

Fig. 6 is a view, similar to a portion of Fig. 1, of a fourth embodimentof the invention;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view, partly in section on the line VlI-VII ofFig. 8, of a portion of the machine of Fig. 6;

Fig.7;

Fig. 9 is a view, similar to Fig. 6, of a fifth embodiment of theinvention; Y V i Fig. 10 is a view, similar to Fig. 6 of a sixthembodiment of the invention; 4 I

Fig. 11 is a perspective view, partly in section in the line XI-XI ofFig. 12;

Fig. 12 is an end view. of some of the elements shown by Fig. 11.

The machine (Fig. 1) includes a hollow spindle 1 journalled in bearings2 mounted in the frame of said machine. This hollow spindle 1 rotatesabout its axis XY and it is driven by a belt 3 passing around a pulley 4fixed to said spindle 1 and around a pulley 5 keyed on a shaft 6 drivenby a motor 7 through transmission means 8.

A yarn a, called inner yarn,'is to be unwound from a let-off package 9mounted coaxially with spindle 1. Package 9 is engaged on a tube 17journalled, through ball bearings 16, on a tube 14 rigid with a kind ofcage constituted by a disc 10, a circular hoop 11 parallel to said discand a plurality of bars 12 connecting said hoop 11 with the periphery ofsaid disc. 10. Rollers 13 surround said bars 12. This cage10-11--12-13-14 is journalled through bearings 50 on a shaft 45-45: co-

axial with spindle 1. A weight 15 carried by said cage prevents it fromrotating about its axis. Yarn a, when leaving package9, passes aroundthe cage on rollers 13 to reach pulley 18 carried by disc 10.

On one of the bars 12 of the cage a yarn guiding pulley 32 is freelyjournalled. This pulley 32, which is provided with a plurality ofgrooves, is located in the same plane as a delivering drum or pulley 31mounted on shaft 45.

Yarn a, on leaving pulley 18, passes on pulley 32 and is wound severaltimes around said pulley and pulley 31. This last mentioned pulleydrives yarn a, which passes through a pig-tail guide 51, carried by disc10 and then follows the direction of bars 12, slides along hoop 11,passes through guiding hole 27 and notch 26a and enters tube 23 throughhole 23a.

The other yarn, b, called the outer yarn, is delivered from a feed drum21 mounted on a spindle 22,; aYarn b, upon leaving drum 21, passesseveral times iround a delivering cylinder or drum 28 and a freelyrotating pulley 29 provided with several grooves for the yarn, saidpulley 29 being located in the same plane as drum 28. Drum 28 is drivenby shaft 6 through a transmission 30, for instance of the chain andsprocket-wheel type as diagrammatically illustrated.

On leaving drum 28, yarn b passes around a roller 48 and extends alongaxis XY as far as guiding hole 49 located on said axis. Then it leavesaxis XY, passes through a member 36 which will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, and then through a guiding groove 1a provided in hollowspindle 1. It leaves said groove 1a at 1b to pass through the hole 19 ofa flyer disc 20 rigid with spindle 1 and then forms a free balloon toreach the guiding notch 26b from which it enters tube 23 through thehole 23b thereof.

In tube 23, yarns a and b are plied together to form cable c whichpasses around roller 52 to reach a delivering drum 33. Cable 0 turnsseveral times round said drum 33 and a cable guiding pulley 34 providedwith several grooves and from which it leaves the machine. Drum 33 isdriven by shaft 6 through a transmisison 35, for instance of the chainand sprocket-wheel type as diagrammatically shown by Fig. 1.

Tube 23, in which yarns a and b are plied together to form cable c, isjournalled about its axis in bearings 24 tube 23 and extending onopposite sides thereof. As for the above mentioned guiding hole 27, itis provided at the end of tube 23 substantially on axis X-Y. Tube 23 andarm 26 rigid therewith are rotated by the outer yarn b, itself driven byflyer disc 20. 7

From the preceding description, it results that the delivering drums 28and 33 (for the outer yarn b and cable respectively) are operativelyconnected together since they are both driven from shaft 6 throughtransmissions 3i) and 35. In order to drive the delivering drum 31 whichcontrols the feed of the inner yarn a, this delivering drum 31 is to beoperatively connected with shaft 6. This is a difiicult problem becausedrum 31 is located inside the balloon formed by the outer yarn b andshaft- 6 is located on the outside of said balloon. The device accordingto the invention gives an advantageous solution of this problem.

For instance, as shown by Figs. 1 and 2, yarn bis made to pass through apassage or channel 36b provided in cylindrical member 36' journaled,about an axis x-y, in bearings 37 mounted in an eccentric housing 38 ofa rotating barrel 39 itself journalled (about the main axis X-Y) in theframe of the machine through bearings 40. The respective ends ofcylindrical member 36 and spindle 1 which face each other are providedwith flanges, respectively 42 and 41, interconnected by links 43 of alength (between their pivots) equal to the eccentricity of the axis x-yof member 36 with respect to the axis X-Y of spindle 1 (thus forming ajoint equivalent to an Oldham joint between member 36 and spindle l).The end of passage 36b on the left hand side of member 36 is on axisx-y. Furthermore the distance from, the end of passage 36b on the righthand side of member 36 to the axis xy of this member is equal to thedistance from the left hand end of the passage 1a of spindle 1 to theaxis X'Y of said spindle.

In these conditions, whatever he the movement of rotation of axis xyabout axis X-Y (that is to say whatever be the movement of rotation ofbarrel 39 about axis XY) the yarn b is never subjected to pullingstresses. As a matter of fact, from point 49 to the entrance of passage36b the yarn describes a cone. (more or less deformed by the action ofthe centrifugal force) thebase of which is the circle described aboutaxis X-Y by the entranceof passage 36b. Inside passage 36b. the lengthis of course fixed. From the exit of pasage 36b to the entrance ofgroove 1a. the distance remains constant despite the relative movementsof member 36 and spindle 1 and. irrespective of the speed of revolutionof axis x-y about axis X-Y.

Therefore the yarn b travels through member 36' with out undergoing anystress which might risk breaking it. As a matter of fact, this propertyof such a yarn guiding device, which can easily be demonstratedgeometrically, has been taught by experience to be quite reliable.v

Since member 36 has a movement which results from the composition of twoelementary movements, one of rotation about x-y imposed by theconnection of said member 36 with spindle 1 through the joint 41--43-42,the other of rotation of axis x- -y about axis X.-Y, and since this lastmentioned elementary movement can be varied at will, it is then possibleto use it to transmit the motion of shaft 6 to drum 31, and this with avariable ratio of transmission.

For this purpose, member 36 carries, an axial pin 3.6a engaged in aradial slot of an arm 47 rigid with, and extending at right angles to,the shaft 45 onwhich drum 31 is mounted, this shaft 45 being journalled,in tubular spindle 1, ooaxially therewith, through bearings 46.

Thus drum 31 is rotated about axis X-Y at a speed equal to the speed ofrotation of axis xy about axis X-Y, i.e. to the speed of rotation ofbarrel 39,. As this barrel 39 is driven by shaft 6 througha transmission44, it will be seen that the inner yarn delivering. 31 is l operativelyconnected with the outer yarn delivering drum 28 and with the cabledelivering drum 33 since these three drums are driven from the sameshaft 6.

Thus the speeds of said three drums are exactly interrelated. But theratios of said speeds to one another can easily be modified, poss blyWhile the machine is in operation, by means of change speed devices A, Band C included in the transmissions 30,, 44 and 35- respectively. It isthus possible to vary the number of twists per unit of length of thecable. It is also possible. to obtain fancy cables in which therespective lengths of the two yarns plied together in the. cable-aredeliberately made unequal.

As a rule, trausmisisons 44 and 30 are made such that the linear speedsof'the yarns a and b fed from drums 31 and 28 are equal and transmission35 is, made such that the linear speed of the cable fed from drum 33 isin a ratio to said speed of yarns a and b corresponding to theshortening, due to theplying of said .yarns a and b together to. formcable a.

It. is, of in erest to note that, contrary to. what takes place in,similar machin f of the. prior art, the cage 1l 0.11-12;-1j3-,-I,4. doesnot rest upon an extension of spindle 1, which is necessarily rotatingat very high speed (for'instance averaging, 5000 revolutions perminute), but upon an extension of shaft 45, which is running at muchlower speed. The advantage is that the cage has much less tendency to bedriven in rotation, due to friction.

The machine of, Fig. 1 an. easily be modified to obtain a doubletwisting of a yarn. It sufiices for this purpose, to omit the outer yarnfeed drum or package 21 and, the cable delivering system 33, 34, 35. Insuch a. machine, the yarn, unwound from package 9 and having travelled,as above described for yarn a, as far as hole 2.3a, would leave tube 23through hole 23b and then follow, in the opposed direction, the pathabove de scribed for yarn 12., The yarn collected. from delivering drum28. (turning inav direction. opposed to that corresponding to the abovedescription) would have the de sired. double, twist.

In the embodiment of Fig. 3, the inner yarn delivering, islocated 0nthe. other side of package 9 from spindle 1. t. is carri d y-arms 1 r gwith cage LQH11..lZ.-13f-1415. On Pig. 3, parts analogous to. thosedescribed with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 are desig ate y thesamereference numerals with a prime. It: is pointed, out thatin theconstruction of Fig. 3 the meansffor causing member 36" to. rotate aboutits axis at the. same speed as spindle, 1 are not constituted by amechanical joint: such as a1 43 on re 1.

In the modification of Fig. 3, the. same result is obtained bytheactionof the outer yarn. 12 forming a balloon be tween the hole 19 ofthe flyer disc; 20 carried by spindle 1, and a, hole 54- provided in adisc 53v rigid with member 36 Itv is pointed. out that hole 54 is theequivalent of the right hand end of the passage 36!) of Figs. 1 and 2.

In this construction, member 36' is provided with an axial; conduit forthe passage of the outer yarn b, which enters: said conduit through ahole. 5

The cage 10-11;w12.-13-=a14- 1 5 is journalled on an extension 45a ofshaft 45, butin this case this shaft does not drive drum 31.

The operation is the same as above described with reference to Fig. 1.However, in this case, the balloon formed by yarn b between guide-holes19 and 54 is not or revolution.

Fig. 3, and the other being on the left hand side of said age, as. shownalso on. Fig. at 9, 1 and made as shown in section on Figs. 1 and 2.Device earshot '8 36 -39 serves to transmit the motion of shaft 6 to theinner yarn delivering drum 31, as above described.

As for the device visible in elevational view at 39- 42-43-41, itserves-to control a mechanism for imparting a double twist to the inneryarn a. For this purpose it drives at the desired speed, through shaft45--45a, a flyer disc 56 carried by said shaft. The inner yarn a, onleaving pulley 18, passes around a grooved pulley 32 and a drum 31,which controls the delivery of said yarn. Then'yarn a passes through aconduit 58 provided at the end of tube '14, through a longitudinalgroove 59 of shaft extension 45a, through a hole 57 provided in disc'56, forms a balloon,'passes through a hole 7 8 conduit136b provided in;member 136, the left hand' (inlet) end of said conduit 136b being on.axis x-y.

, A rotating cylindrical piece '71 is journalled', about axis XY, in atubular part 76, itself journalled in the machine frame about said axisXY; A pin 136a rigid with member 136 is pivoted in piece 71 about axisx-y.

A pulley 70 serves to drive barrel 139, thus causing the axis; xy ofmember 136, and therefore piece .71, to

. rotate, about the main axis X--Y. on the other hand,

61' provided in a disc 60 carried by a tube 62 journalled in bearings 63mounted in member 36" coaxially'there with, and thence through theconduits provided axially in par-ts 62'and 36'. There, yarns a and bareplied together, to form cable 0 which passes around roller 52 tangent tothe main axis XY. In this case, the pin which engages the radial slot ofarm 47', instead of being rigid with member 36' is carried by tube 62.

It should be well understood that the means 42- 43-41' which form ajoint of the Oldham type between two rotating parts, such as 36 and 1journalled about respective parallel axes, may be of any suitableconstruction. In particular it has been found that it is veryadvantageous to constitute said means as shown by Fig. 4. Referencenumerals 42 and 41 designate the same parts as on Fig. 1. At theirperipheries, said parts 42 and 41 are provided with recesses ofpart-spherical shape as shown at R and R Balls B and B swivelled in saidrecesses are rigidly fixed to the ends of a rod 43' which passes throughholes E and E provided in parts 42 and 41, the whole of elements B 43and B forming a link equivalent to one of the links43 of Figs. 1 and 2.Of course, there are at least two such links between parts 42 and 41.

Fig. 5 diagrammatically shows a machine including, like that of Fig. 3,two devices, respectively for controlling the rotation of an inner yarndelivering drum 131 and that of a flyer disc 156 (on Fig. 5 the partswhich correspond to similar parts of Fig. 3 are designated by the samereference numerals plus 100). u

The yarns travel substantially in the same way a's in the machine ofFig. 3. The difference is that yarn a, on leaving pulley 118, instead ofpassing, as inFig. 3, on parts 31, 32 before entering conduit 58, isguided by a pulley 114a carried by tube 114 to the inlet of conduit 158.Furthermore, on-leaving pulley 157, yarn a passes round a pulley 89carried by hoop 111, and

then is guided by pulleys 90, 91, 92 carried by a hoop 8'8 (fixedbecause tube 87, rigid therewith, has an cecentric projection thereofhoused in a tubular part 83 eccentric with respect to shaft 86 in whichis housed the remainder of said tube 87). Then, yarn a passes around thedelivering means constituted by drum 131 and grooved pulley 132. Saidyarn then passes on pul: leys 93, 94 and 95 also carried by hoop 88,through an axial hole 98 of the structure carried by the right hand endof hoop 88, through a hole 96a of a rotating disc 97 and finally enterstube 99, Where it is plied with yarn b which has entered thesame tube,coming from a hole 96b of disc 97.

In this embodiment of the invention, the two devices for controlling,from the outside of the balloon formed by yarn b, respectively shaft145, on which is fixed the flyer disc 156, and shaft 86, on which isfixed drum 131, are made as follows.

A barrel 139 is 'journalled in the frame of the apparatus by means ofbearings 14%), about the main axis X--Y. In said barrel 139 iseccentrically journalled, about axis x-y, a cylindrical member 136, bymeans of bearings 137. The outer yarn b passes between rollers 148,through a guide-hole 149 on XYandthence through a member 136 is causedto rotate about its own axis x-y at the same speed asj that at whichtubular part 76 is rotating about the main axis XY due to theinterposition of links 73' (made as shown by Fig. 4) between saidelements 76 and 136.

"In a likewise manner, tubular parts 76, 81 and 82 are caused, torotate, about their respective axes 'X-Y, x --y and x;, y at the samespeed as that at which spindle 101 is rotating about axis XY, owing tothe provision of links 74, and84, respectively.

Asyarn b is guided, in said tubular members, through passages located atthe same distance from the respective axes of. said tubular parts, yarnb is not stressed by the relative. movements of said parts, as aboveexplained.

In tubular part 81 and coaxially therewith about axis x y there isjournalled a cylindrical member 72. Both of these elements 72 and 81'are journalled, about axis x y in a barrel 79 journalled in the machineframe about the main axis X--Y. Barrel 79 is driven by means of a pulley75.

' Cylindrical piece 71. and cylindrical member 72 are interconnected bya mechanical coupling 78 which causes both of them to rotate, abouttheir respective axes XY and x -y at the same speed as that which isimparted to barrel 139 by pulley 70.

Thus, member 72 has a composite motion resulting from the composition oftwo elementary motions which are:

(a) A rotation about its axis x -y at a speed equal to that given bypulley 70; and

(b) A rotation of said axis x --y about the main axis XY at a speedequal to that given by pulley 75.

The first movement of rotation (about x y is transmit-ted through links77, tubular part 83 and links 85 to the shaft 86 of drum 131.

The second movement of rotation (of x -y about XY) is transmittedthrough the crank coupling 72a-147 to the shaft of flyer disc 156.

In the embodiments of the invention illustrated by Figs. 1 to 5, theballoon described by the yarn is not a surface of revolution about theaxis of the spindle. On the contrary, in the embodiments which will nowbe described this balloon is in the form of a surface of revolution.

The embodiment of Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive analogous, as a whole, to thatof Fig. 1 and the elements common to both of these embodiments have beendesignated by the same reference numerals. It should be noted that, inthe construction of Fig. 6, pulleys 18 and 32 are carried by a disc 210which, contrary to the disc 10 of Fig. 1, is not necessarily stationarybut may be driven in rotation, as it will be hereinafter explained.

In this embodiment of the invention, drum 31 is driven by an eccentricmember 236, in the form of a cylindrical disc, having its axis at x-y,which is journalled, through bearings 237, in a cylindrical housing 238of a barrel 239, itself journalled about axis XY in bearings 240 carriedby the machine frame. As the axis x-y of member 236 and of thecylindrical housing 238 is offset with respect to the axis XY of spindle1, the rotation of barrel 239111 bearings 240 causes the axis x-y ofmember 236 to rotate about axis XY, member 236 being rotating about axisXY, it sufiices, as in theabove embodiments, to connect these twoelements 236 and 1' through a joint of the'Oldham type. In the.particular construction ofFigsr 6. to 8, this joint is. constituted byat. least. two. cylindrical fingers 241 carried by an extension 201mounted. at the. end, of spindle 1. These fingers 241 are surrounded byconcentrical rollers 243 the external radius of whichis r and. which areengaged in cylindrical holes 242 of radius R provided in eccentricvmember 236., the axes of said fingers. and said holes being parallel toaxis XY, radius R being equal to the sum of radius r and of the distancee between axis XY and axis. xy (see Fig. 8.), and the distance betweenthe. center of each hole 242 and the axis xy being equal to the distancebetween the center of the corresponding finger 241 and axis XY, to witd.

In order to rotate the axis xy of member 236 about axis XY, it sufficesto rotate barrel 239 by means of a belt 244 for instance. This lastmovement of rotation of member 236 is transmitted to drum 31 throughshaft 45. For this purpose, the end of shaft 45- opposed to that whichcarries drum 31 carries, rigid therewith and eccentrically positionedthereon, a cylindrical extension 247 the axis of which is in coincidencewith the axis x--y, this extension being journalled in a cylindricalrecess 247a of member 236, preferably with the interposition of a needlebearing. 7

The outer yarn b passes from the guiding element 49 located on axis XYto groove 1a of spindle 1, through a circular aperture of a relativelylarge diameter 265 provided in eccentric member 236. For this. purpose,the extension 291 of spindle 1 carries yarn, guiding means which extendthrough said aperture 265. of eccentric member 236.

For reasons of balancing, two such tubular guiding means 264 areprovided, said guiding means being engaged in two cylindrical apertures265. If these cylindrical apertures are given'the same radius R as. theabove mentioned holes 242, the external diameter r, of the tubularguiding means 26.4, when they pass through said apertures, should begiven a value smaller than the difference Re, so that these guidingmeans remain constantly out of contact with the walls of apertures 265.

Several control devices of this kind may be disposed in series formechanisms housed inside a balloon, in particular, as illustrated, asupplementary mechanism capable of twisting the inner yarn as it isbeing. unwound from package 9.

Such a mechanism may be constituted by fixing disc 21% on a rotating rod266 extending along axis X-Y, and by causing the inner yarn a to. passfrom a set of pulleys 267 substantially along said axis, for instancethrough a longitudinal groove 2662 provided in rod 266, then radiallyaround a pulley 26S and pulley l8, pulley 32, drum 31 and pulley 2.70,to travel axially to elements 23 to 27.

In order to rotate rod 266, this rod is extended beyond drum 31 to forman extension 266b journalled inside shaft 45 coaxially therewith,through bearings 269, this extension 2-66b passing through part 247, andthere .is provided a second eccentric member 336 similar to member 236.The elements cooperating with member 336- are similar to thosecooperating with member 236v and-designated by the same referencenumerals plus 100. Of course, the same fingers 241 and. the same yarnguiding means 264 extend through the two eccentric members 236 and 336.

It should be noted that, since pulley 32 is carried by disc 210, thespeed'of operation of the device constituted by drum 31 and pulley 3'2depends not only upon the speed of barrel 239 but alsov upon that ofbarrel 339, and of course this must be taken into account. whendesigning the mechanism for driving the-belt 244 of barrel239 since thedelivery of the yarn results from the difference between the speeds. ofrotation imparted to-ba-rrels 239 and 339.

Finally tube 14 is mounted on rod 266 with tbeinterposition of ballbearings 250. g 3 H There isv thus obtained a cabling spindlemechanismthe general operation of which is similar to. that'of the mechanismofFigj 5.

The operation of the Oldham joint constituted for instance by fingers241, 243 and the holes 242 is as follows. If part 201 is rotated througha given number of degrees about axis. XY, the eccentric member 236 isrotated through exactly the same number of degrees about axis XY. Therollers 243 of part 201 move along the periphery of the. cylindricalholes 242 for every revolution of part 201., and. consequently of member236. It should. be. noted that, in the course. of this movement, thedirection. of rotation of rollers 243 always the same and that, forevery half-revolution, one of the rollers 243 pushes member 236 whereas.the other roller holds it back, which eliminates the individual play ofeach of the rollers 243 in its hole 242, the parts played by therespective rollers being reversed after every half-revolution of part201.

Such a joint is silent, strong and very easy to lubricate.

The operation of joint 247-247a is as follows. Part 247 is rotatableabout axis XY due to the fact that said part 247 is rigid with hollowshaft 45. On the other hand, said .part 247 is also movable with respectto axis xy as being journalled in the cylindrical hole 247a of eccentricmember 236. Therefore if barrel 239 in which said member 236 isjournalled is stationary, part 247 which is related to two stationaryaxes itself remains stationary. On the contrary, if barrel 239 isrotated through any number of degrees, this also causes axis xy torotate through the same number of degrees about axis X-Y, together withpart 247 and therefore hollow shaft 45 and drum 31.

It. will be readily understood that the yarn guiding means 264,independent of eccentricv members 236 and 336 but which do not interferewith the free rotation of these two members, enable the outer yarn b topass through said members without any portion of the yarn as it travelsfrom guiding element 49 to the hole 19 of the flyer disc 20 undergoingvariations of length during the rotation of the spindle and of shafts 45and 26612 coaxial therewith.

Of course, the. driving fingers 241 might be used. as yarn guidingmeans. In this case it would sufiice to provide these fingers withcentral inner conduits as shown at 264a on Fig. 9, which relates to adouble twist spindle mechanism.

It would be possible, by stopping one of the barrels 239 and 339, to fixa part in a strictly stationary position.

For instance, in the double twist spindle mechanism shown on Fig. 9,barrel 339 has been replaced by an element 339a rigid with the frame ofthe machine and provided with a bearing 337 identical to that of thebarrel 339 of Figs. 6 to 8. From the preceding explanations, it resultsthat the central rod 266-266b is thus. stopped positively. It is thenpossible to fix on rod 266 a disc 210a corresponding to the combinationof the discs 10 and 210 of Fig. 6, which permits of fixing in positionthe cradle of package 9 and also the axis of pulley 32.

Most of the. elements of Fig. 9 have already been described withreference to Fig. 6. The. only substantial difference consists in thefact that guiding element 49 and parts 23 to 27 have been cancelled, thelast mentioned elements, 23 to 27', being replaced by a mere guidingelement 271. Furthermore, tube 17 is mounted on rod 266 through ballbearings 16.

The direction of displacement of the yarn to be twisted is indicated bythe simple arrows of Fig. 9.

The general operation of such a machine is well known in the art andneed not be described here.

The modification illustrated'by Figs. 10, 11 and l2 differs from that ofFigs. 6, 7 and 8 only in the coupling means interposed betweeneccentric; members 2361: and

the spindle. Ihe'same difference also applies to the cou pling meansrelative to the second eccentn'c member 336a. The coupling means forcausing eccentric member 236a to rotate about its axis x--y at a speedequal to that at which spindle 1 is rotating about axis ,X--Y are, inthe construction of Figs. -12, made as follows.

A coupling piece 271 in the, form of a parallelepipedon having its facesat right angles to one another includes two parallel faces 272constituting a first set of guiding surfaces, and two other parallelfaces 273 constituting a sec ond set of guiding surfaces. Guidingsurfaces 273 are at right angles to guiding surfaces 202. Piece 271 isinserted between spindle 1 (in fact longitudinal extensions 276 rigidwith said spindle) and eccentric member 236a, in such manner that, onthe one hand, guiding faces 272 are slidable in contact with planeguiding surfaces 274 carried by elongated members 276 and that, on theother hand, guiding surfaces 273 are slidable in contact with planeguiding surfaces 275 carried by eccentric member 236a. The two otherfaces of connecting piece 271 are at right angles to axis XY.

Guiding surfaces 275 are the inwardly directed faces of two sideprojections 277 provided on eccentric member 236a.

In order to rotate the axis x-y of member 236a about axis XY, itsuffices to drive barrel 239 by means for instance of'a belt. Thismovement of rotation of the axis of member 236a is transmitted to drum31 through tubular rod 45 which is housed coaxially inside spindle 1where it is carried by bearings 46. One end ofrod 45 carries drum 31fixed thereto and the other end carries a cylindrical drum 247 the axisof which coincides with the axis x--y of eccentric member 236a, thisdrum 247 being journalled in a cylindrical bore 247a provided in 1member 236a, preferably with the interposition of needle bearings. Y 1For the passage of theexternal yarn from guiding element 49 located onaxis X--Y to groove 1a, said grooves "1a are extended into elongatedmembers, or fingers, 206, as visible at 10. i

As in the case of the construction of Figs. 6 to 9, it is possibletoprovide several control devices of the kind above described in seriesfor several respective mechanisms housed inside a balloon, inparticular, as shown, a

supplementary mechanism for twisting the inner yarn asit is beingunwound from package 9.

Of course, the eccentric member 2360 (or 336a) must be provided withhollow spaces 27 8 shaped and dimensioned in 'such manner that fingers276 can move freely therein, and on the other hand the connecting piece271 (371) must be provided with a hollow space 279 shaped anddimensioned in such manner that the extension 266b can move freelytherein.

The operation of the coupling means constituted essentially by fingers276, connecting piece 271 and eccentric member 236a is as follows. Ifspindle 1 rotates through a given angle about axis XY, eccentric member236 rotates through exactly the same angle about axis x'y in view of thefact that a given direction fixed with respect to eccentric member 236a(guiding surfaces 275) is constantly kept by connecting piece 271, atright angles to a given direction fixed with respect to spindle =1(guiding surfaces 274).

Such a coupling device is especially strong in view of the fact that thedrive is effected through guiding surfaces which are in contact togetherover large areas (273 with 275 and 272 with 274). 1 This application isa continuation-in-part of my application of August 28, 1957, Ser. No.680,808, new forfeited, entitled Improvements in Spinning Machines.

Ina general manner, while I have, in the above description, disclosedwhat I, deem to be practical and eflicient embodiments of my invention,it should be-well under stood that I do not wish to be limited theretoas there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition 10 andform of the parts without departing from the principle of the, presentinvention as comprehended within the scope of the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a spinning machine including a frame, means for causing a yarn totravel with respect to said frame from a point located on a main axisfixed with respect to said frame to another point located on said axis,a'spindle journalled in said frame about said axis for causing a portionof said yarn travelling between said points to form a balloon, and amechanism carried by said spindle on. the inside of said balloon, saidmechanism including a partjournalled in said spindle so as to berotatable about said axis, a device for controlling from the outside ofsaid balloon the angular position at any time of said part withrespectto said axis, which device comprises, in combination, a barreljournalled in said frame about said main axis, an eccentric memberjournalled in said barrel about a second axis parallel to said main axisand at a fixed distance therefrom, said eccentric member being locatedbetween two planes perpendicular to said axes and passing throughsaidtwo points respectively, coupling means between said eccentric memberand said rotatable part for determining at any instant the angularposition of said rotatable part with respect to said main axis inaccordance withdhe position of said second axis with respect to saidmain axis, coupling means between said eccentric member and said spindlefor making the instantaneous speed of rotation of said eccentric memberabout said second axis equal to the instantaneous speed of rotation ofsaid spindle about said main axis, said eccentric member being provided:with a passage for said yarn extending throughout said member from oneside thereof to the other side, said passage being arranged to keepconstant the length of the portion of said yarn extending between saidtwo points. p .2. In a spinning machine including a frame, means forcausing a yarn to travel with respect to said frame from a point locatedon an axis fixed with respect to said frame to another point located onsaid axis, means for causing said yarn travelling between said points toform a b311- loon, and a mechanism mounted in said frame inside saidballoon, a device for controlling said mechanism from the outside ofsaid balloon which comprises, in combina# tion, a part rotatable in saidframe about said axis provided with an aperture for guiding said yarn sothat said aperture describes, in a plane at right angles to said axisand located between said points, a circle having its center on said.axis, means for guiding the successive points of said yarn that arepassing through another planeat right angles to said axis and locatedbetween said points along a circle located in said last mentioned planeand having'its center on said axis, a member provided with a. yarnguiding aperture, said member being movable in said frame to have saidlast mentioned aperture thereof moving in-a plane at right angles tosaid axis and located between said two first mentioned planes, means for0peratively' connecting said member with said part to permit relativemovement between them while keeping said two apertures constantly at thesame distance from each other, said relative movement constituting afirst elementary motion of said member, means for operatively connectingsaid member with said frame to permit relative movement between them,said last mentioned means being capable of permitting free operation ofsaid means for operatively connecting said member with said pant, saidrelative movement between said member and said frame constituting asecond elementary motion of said member, combined with said firstelementary motion, said second elementary motion being controllable fromthe outside of said balloon, coupling means between said member and saidmechanism operative in response to said second elementary motion of saidmember, and means on the outside of said balloon, for controlling thel-l displacements of said member with respect to said frame pertainingto said second elementary motion.

3. In a spinning machine including a frame, means for causing a yarn totravel with respect tosaid frame from a point located on an axis fixedwith respect to said frame to another point located on said axis, meansfor causing said yarn travelling between said points to form a balloon,and a mechanism mounted in said frame inside said balloon, saidmechanism including a piece rotatable about said axis, a device fortransmitting rotary motion to said piece from the outside of saidballoon which comprises, in combination, a part rotatable in said frameabout said axis provided with an aperture for guiding said yarn so thatsaid aperture describes, in a plane at right angles to said and locatedbetween said points, a circle having its center on said axis, means forguiding the successive points ofsaid yarn that are passing throughanother plane at right angles to said axis and located between saidpoints along a circle located in said last mentioned plane and havingits center on said axis, a member provided with a yarn guiding aperture,said member being movable in said frame to have said last mentionedaperture thereof moving in a plane at right angles to said axis andlocated. between said two first mentioned planes, means for operativelyconnecting said member with said part to permit relative movementbetween them while keeping said two apertures constantly at the samedistance from each other, said relative movement constituting a firstelementary motion of said member, means for operatively connecting saidmember with said frame to permit relative movement between them, saidlast mentioned means being capable of permitting free operation of saidmeans for operatively connecting said member with said part, saidrelative movement between said member and said frame constituting asecond elementary motion of said member, combined with. said firstelementary motion, said second elementary motion being controllable fromthe outside of said balloon, coupling means between said member and saidpiece of said mechanism operative to rotate said piece in response tosaid second elementary motion. of said member, and means on the outsideof said balloon for transmitting said second elementary motion to saidmember.

4. In a spinning machine including a frame, means for causing a yarn totravel with respect to said frame from a point located on a main axisfixed with respect to said frame to another point located on said axis,means for causing said yarn travelling between said points to form aballoon, and a mechanism mounted in said frame inside said balloon, saidmechanism. including a piece rotatable about said axis, a device fortransmitting rotary motion to said piece from the outside of saidballoon which comprises, in combination, a cylindrical partv rotating insaid frame about said axis provided, at one end thereof, with anaperture for guiding said yarn, whereby said aperture describes, in aplane at right angles to said axis and located between said points, acircle having its center on said axis, means for guiding the successivepoints of said yarn that are passing through another plane at rightangles to said axis and located between said points along .a circlelocated in said last mentioned plane and having its center on said axis,a barrel journalled in said frame about said axis, at least a portion ofsaid barrel being located between said two planes, an eccentriccylindrical member journalled in said barrel about an axis parallel tosaid first mentioned axis, said member being provided, at the endthereof facing said end of said part, with a yarn guiding aperture located' at a distance from said second mentioned axis equal to thedistance of the first mentioned aperture from said main axis, saidsecond mentioned aperture be ing located in a plane. at right angles tosaid axes located between said two first mentioned planes, means foroperatively connecting said member with said part to cause said memberto rotate about said second. mentioned axis constantly at. the samespeed about said last mentionedv axis as said. part is. rotating aboutsaid main a d's,,crank means. between said eccentric cylindrical memberand said piece of said mechanism for transmitting to said piece therotary motion of said second mentioned axis about said main axis, anddriving means located on the outside of said. balloon for rotating saidbarrelabout said main axis.

5'. In a spinning machine including a frame, means for causing a yarn totravel with respect to said frame from a point located on a main axisfixed with respect to said frame to another point located on said axis,means for causing said yarn travelling between said points to form aballoon, and a mechanism mounted in said frame in side said balloon,said mechanism including a piece rotatable about said' axis, a devicefor transmitting rotary motion to said piece from the outside of saidballoon which comprises, in combination, a cylindrical part rotating insaid frame about, said axis provided, at one end thereof, with anaperture for guiding said yarn, whereby said aperture describes, in aplane at right angles to said axis and located between said points, acircle having its center on said axis, means for guiding the successivepoints of said yarn that are passing through another plane at rightangles to said axis and located between said points along a circlelocated in said last mentioned plane and having its center on said axis,a barrel journalled in said frame about said axis, at least a portion ofsaid barrel being located between said two planes, an eccentriccylindrical member journalled in said barrel about an axis parallel tosaid first mentioned axis, said member being provided, at the endthereof facing said end of said part, with a yarn guiding aperturelocated at a distance from said second mentioned axis equal to thedistance of the first mentioned aperture from said main axis, saidsecond mentioned aperture being located in a plane at right angles tosaid axes located between said two first mentioned planes, means foroperatively connecting said member with said part to cause said memberto rotate about said second mentioned axis constantly at the same speedabout said last mentioned axis as said part. is rotating about said mainaxis, crank means between said eccentric cylindrical member and saidpiece of said mechanism for transmitting to said piece the rotary motionof said second mentioned axis about said main axis, driving meanslocated on the outside of said balloon for rotating said barrel aboutsaid main axis, and means for varying the speed of, rotation of saidbarrel relatively to the speed of rotation of said part.

6. A device according to claim 4 in which said means for guiding thesuccessive points of said yarn that are passing through said secondmentioned plane are constituted by the other end of said eccentricmember, which end is provided at its center, located on said secondmentioned axis, with a yarn guiding aperture, said eccentric memberbeing provided, with a channel for said yarn extending between said twoyarn guiding apertures provided in said member.

7. A device according to claim 4 in which the means for operativelyconnecting said eccentric member with said part consist of a mechanicaljoint.

8. A device according to claim 4 in which the means for operativelyconnecting said eccentric member with said part consist of at least twolinks interposed each between two corresponding points of said memberand of said part respectively, that of said two last mentioned pointswhich is located on said member being located at the same distance fromsaid second mentioned axis as the corresponding point located on saidpart is from said main axis, each of said links including a thin rod andtwo balls secured to the respective ends of said rod, each of said ballsbeing swivelled in one of the elements, respectively said, member andsaid part, between which said. link is 13 for operatively connectingsaid eccentric member with said part consist of at least two linksinterposed each between two corresponding points of said member and ofsaid part respectively, that of said two last mentioned points whichislocated on said member being located at the same distance from saidsecond mentioned axis as the corresponding point located on said part isfrom said main axis, each of said links including a thin rod and twoballs secured to the respective ends of said rod, each of said ballsbeing swivelled in one of the elements, respectively said member andsaid part, between which said link is interposed.

10. A device according to claim 4 in which the means for operativelyconnecting said eccentric member. and said part include two flyermembers of the same radius respectively rigid with said member and withsaid part, and a portion of said yarn forming a balloon between saidfiyer members.

11. A spinning machine which comprises a frame, means for causing a yarnto travel with respect to said frame from a point located on a axisfixed with respect to said frame to another point located on said axis,means for causing said yarn travelling between said points to form a'balloon, and a mechanism mounted in said frame inside said balloon,said mechanism including two pieces rotatable about said axis and twodevices each for transmitting a rotary motion to one of said pieces,

respectively, from the outside of said balloon, each of said devicesincluding a cylindrical part rotating in said frame about said axisprovided, at one end thereof, with an aperture for guiding said yarn,whereby said aperture describes, in a plane at right angles to said axisand located between said points, a circle having its center on saidaxis, means for guiding the successive points of said yarn that arepassing through another plane at right angles to said axis and locatedbetween said points along a circle located in said last mentioned planeand having its center on said axis, a barrel journalledin said frameabout said axis, at least a portion of said barrel being located betweensaid two planes, an eccentric cylindrical member journalled in saidbarrel about an axis parallel to said first mentioned axis, said memberbeing provided, at the end thereof facing said end of said part, with ayarn guiding aperture located at a distance from said second mentionedaxis equal to the distance of the first mentioned aperture from saidmain axis, said second mentioned aperture being located in a plane atright angles to said axes located between said two first mentionedplanes, means for operatively connecting said member with said part tocause said member to rotate about said second mentioned axis constantlyat the same speed about said last mentioned axis as said part isrotating about said main axis, means between said eccentric cylindricalmember and the piece of said mechanism which is to be driven by saiddevice for transmitting to said last mentioned piece'the rotary motionof said second mentioned axis about said main axis, and driving meanslocated on the outside of said balloon for rotating said barrel aboutsaid mainaxis.

12. A machine according to claim 11 in which said two devices arelocated respectivelyon opposite sides of said mechanism.

13. A machine according to claim 11 in which both of said devices arelocated on the same side of said mechanism.

14. A device according to claim 1 in which said passage extendingthrough said eccentric member is a hole eccentrically located therein,further including a yarn guiding element rigid with said spindleextending through said hole 14 in a direction parallel to said main axisand located at a distance therefrom, the dimensions of said hole beingsuch that said yarn guiding element does not come into contact with thewall of said hole.

15. A device according to claim 1 in which said passage extendingthrough said eccentric member is a hole in the form of a cylinder ofrevolution about a third axis located at a fixed distance d from saidsecond axis, further including a tubular yarn guiding element rigid withsaid spindle and extending through said hole, said tubular elementhaving its axis parallel to said main axis and located at said distanced therefrom, the radius of said hole being greater than the sum of thediameter of said tubular element and of the distance between said mainaxis and said second axis.

16. A device according to claim 1 in which said barrel is fixed in saidframe, whereby said rotatable part of said .mechanism is fixed in space.

17. A device according to claim 1 in which said coupling means betweensaid eccentric member and said rotatable part include a cylindricalelement rigid with said rotatable part but eccentric with respectthereto, the distance between the axis of said eccentric cylindricalelement and said main axis being equal to the distance between said mainaxis and said second mentioned axis, said eccentric member beingprovided with a cylindrical housing having its axis in coincidence withsaid second mentioned axis and of a diameter just a little greater thanthat of said eccentric cylindrical element and said last mentionedelement being journalled in said housing.

18. A device according to claim 1 in which the coupling means betweensaid eccentric member and said spindle include at least two cylindricalfingers of radius r carried by said spindle, said eccentric member beingprovided with cylindrical holes of radius R in which said cylindricalfingers are engaged, the axes of said cylindrical fingers and of saidcylindrical holes being parallel to said 'main axis, radius R beingequal to the sum of radius r and of distance e between said main axisand said second axis, and the distance d between the axis of each ofsaid cylindrical holes and said second axis being equal to the distancebetween the axis of each of said cylindrical fingers and said main axis.

19. A device according to claim 1 in which the coupling means betweensaid eccentric member and said spindle include two elongated membersrigid with said spindle and extending in a direction parallel to saidmain axis and located at a distance therefrom, said members beingprovided with respective.plane surfaces facing each other, parallel tosaid main axis and located at equal distances respectively therefrom,said eccentric member being provided with two plane surfaces facing eachother, parallel to said second axis and located at equal distancesrespectively therefrom, and a connecting piece having two parallelopposed faces fitting slidably against said two parallel surfaces ofsaid elongated members respectively and two parallel opposed facestransverse to said two faces and fitting slidably against said twoparallel surfaces of said eccentric member, the two second mentionedfaces of said connecting piece being directed, transversely to the twofirst mentioned faces thereof, said eccentric member being provided withholes for free passage therethrough of said elongated members whateverbe the relative positions of said eccentric member and of said spindle.

20. A device according to claim 19 in which at least one of saidelongated members is provided with a yarn passage extending from one endto the other thereof.

No references cited.

